Mossad Falls Victim to Netanyahu’s Desperation

A scandal-riven former general will run Israel’s leading spy agency, obliterating a tradition of nonpartisan professionals in the job

Netanyahu’s choice of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman to run the Mossad is his latest desperate move to surround himself with loyalists over professionals in the security realm. (Times of Israel)

First it was Shin Bet.

And now the Mossad will soon have a new, partisan head—and that’s not good news for the already fragile and flawed Israeli democracy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, his military secretary, as the 14th head of the nation’s elite foreign espionage agency is a continuation of his politicization and takeover of the entire intelligence community. It is also an expression of no confidence in the Mossad’s 7,000 employees, among whom Netanyahu did not find anyone worthy of leading the organization.